1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an attaching and detaching structure of a toner container loaded attachably and detachably in the apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to replenish the developing device installed inside the apparatus main body of an image forming apparatus with a developer, there has been known a toner container loaded attachably and detachably in the apparatus main body (including the developing device). The method of inserting and removing the toner container in and from the apparatus main body includes the longitudinal inserting and removing method by which the toner container is inserted in and removed from the apparatus main body in a vertical direction and the lateral inserting and removing method by which the toner container is inserted in and removed from the apparatus main body in a horizontal direction.
Which method should be adopted is determined on the basis of the type of image forming apparatus, for example, whether the image forming apparatus is used as a copying machine or as a printer, the layout of various members installed inside the apparatus main body, and so forth.
For example, in a case where the image forming apparatus is a printer, the longitudinal or lateral inserting and removing method, whichever suits the circumstances better is used. On the contrary, in the case of a copying machine equipped with an automatic document reading device that automatically reads document images of documents one by one from a pile of documents, because the automatic document reading device and the scanner portion are provided in the top portion of the apparatus main body, it is normal to adopt the lateral inserting and removing method by which the toner container is inserted in and removed from the apparatus main body from the front surface thereof. This is attributed to the difficulty to configure the automatic document reading device and the scanner portion, which are heavy loads, to be openable with respect to the top surface of the apparatus main body.
In a case where the longitudinal inserting and removing method is adopted, as a transmission method of transmitting a driving force from the apparatus main body to the developer stirring mechanism in the toner container, it is normal to adopt the method of allowing the gears on the respective sides to space apart from and come closer to each other. On the contrary, in a case where the lateral inserting and removing method is adopted, so-called coupling to allow the cups to space apart from and come closer to each other is often adopted.
Incidentally, as an image forming apparatus adopting the longitudinal inserting and removing method, the one described, for example, in JP-A-2004-317883, has been known. As an image forming apparatus adopting the lateral inserting and removing method, those described, for example, in JP-A-2004-333929 and JP-A-2001-356548, have been known.
Conventionally, toner containers for exclusive use are manufactured for an image forming apparatus of interest depending on the toner container inserting and removing method, more specifically, whether the image forming apparatus adopts the longitudinal inserting and removing method or the lateral inserting and removing method.
Hence, a toner container manufactured for an image forming apparatus adopting, for example, the longitudinal inserting and removing method is not applicable to an image forming apparatus adopting the lateral inserting and removing method, and conversely, a toner container manufactured for an image forming apparatus adopting the lateral inserting and removing method is not applicable to an image forming apparatus adopting the longitudinal inserting and removing method. Hence, in an event that there is a discrepancy from the output schedule due to the movement of demand, oversupplied toner containers for the image forming apparatus adopting one method cannot be diverted to those in short supply for the image forming apparatus adopting the other method, that is, it is impossible to interchange toner containers between the two methods.
It is therefore necessary to manufacture toner containers for exclusive use for an image forming apparatus adopting each method to meet the movement of demand. To this end, manufacturing lines for two systems have to be installed to manufacture toner containers for exclusive use for each method. This raises a problem that not only the cost of facilities and the cost of manufacturing are proportionately increased, but also the cost of inventory is increased.